It depends on whether you are teaching in a public or private setting and where you reside.
There are many welding instructors without degrees, but usually, if the school grants a degree of any type, the instructor needs a credential. If the instructor lacks the proper credentials, the school usually requires the credential to be earned within a certain time frame.
Many private schools that offers a certificate is not usually bound by the constraints of a public institution.
Best regards - Al
Hello Dennis, I believe that states differ on what is the "base" requirement to teach at a state vocation/technical/community college. In Washington state you need to have X number of years of direct involvement in the particular discipline or a minimum of a 2-year degree and X number of years of direct experience. Most schools will advertise that they want more than this minimum but will accept the minimum if the right candidate comes along. K-12 schools are a different animal and actually require higher level degrees, but they also generally require welding instructors to cover other academic classes as well and that's where the bachelors degrees and higher degrees come into play.
Go visit whomever is in the HR department and get the full story on what you need. Don't listen to hearsay from people who might not have all of the correct information. Good luck and best regards, I believe that you would make a terrific instructor for an opportunity such as this. Allan
Go to the post in Technical:
Responsibilities:
Typical instructional assignment will be to provide instruction and training in Welding Technology covering several welding processes. Instruction will cover, but is not limited to, the following welding processes: Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW Plate and Pipe), Flux Core Arc Welding (FCAW Plate and Pipe), Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW Plate and Pipe), Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW Plate and Pipe), Oxy-fuel cutting, Plasma Arc cutting, blueprint reading, mathematics for welding, welding inspection and welding metallurgy. Assignments will include participation in the certification process.
Teaching assignment may include day, evening, on-line, hybrid, weekend, and/or off campus classes.
Minimum Qualifications:
1. Have a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution completed by August 20, 2015, and two years of related welding experience; OR, have an associate's degree and six years of related welding experience; OR, hold a California Community College Instructor's Credential in Welding Technology; OR, the equivalent.*